Writing - part xx077 Writing a Novel, Protagonist and Likes and Dislikes

19 December 2019, Writing - part xx077 Writing a Novel, Protagonist and Likes and Dislikes

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing websites http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

1.     Design the initial scene

2.     Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.     Research as required

b.     Develop the initial setting

c.     Develop the characters

d.     Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.     Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.     Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.     Write the climax scene

6.     Write the falling action scene(s)

7.     Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love, solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.  

Here is the cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

For novel 30:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 31:  Deirdre and Sorcha are redirected to French finishing school where they discover difficult mysteries, people, and events. 

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

          

Today:  Why don’t we go back to the basics and just writing a novel?  I can tell you what I do, and show you how I go about putting a novel together.  We can start with developing an idea then move into the details of the writing. 

To start a novel, I picture an initial scene.  I may start from a protagonist or just launch into mental development of an initial scene.  I get the idea for an initial scene from all kinds of sources.  To help get the creative juices flowing, let’s look at the initial scene. 

1.     Meeting between the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist’s helper

2.     Action point in the plot

3.     Buildup to an exciting scene

4.     Indirect introduction of the protagonist

Perhaps I should go back and look again at the initial scene—maybe, I’ll cover that again as part of looking at the rising action.  The reason is that I’m writing a rising action in a novel right now.

That gets us back to the protagonist—complexity makes the protagonist and the telic flaw one and the same. 

The novel is a revelation of the protagonist.  The telic flaw is connected directly to the protagonist.  The plot is the revelation of the telic flaw.  This connects the protagonist to the plot and the telic flaw.  The point is that to plan a novel, I simply need to plan the revelation of the protagonist.  To accomplish this, you need to develop a protagonist.

When I write you develop your protagonist, you write notes about:

1.     Name

2.     Background

3.     Education

4.     Appearance

5.     Work

6.     Wealth

7.     Skills

8.     Mind

9.     Likes

10.  Dislikes

11.  Opinions

12.  Honor

13.  Life

14.  Thoughts

15.  Telic flaw

I design a protagonist around the initial scene.  This is the way I write a novel.  This isn’t the only way to write a novel, but it is the way I have discovered to write well-conceived and powerful novels.  This goes back to the initial scene. 

Above, I gave you four options for developing the initial scene.  Yesterday, I told you to take two off.  Authors have used three and four, but they don’t produce the kinds of exciting initial scenes we want.  Here’s the list again.

1.     Meeting between the protagonist and the antagonist or the protagonist’s helper

2.     Action point in the plot

3.     Buildup to an exciting scene

4.     Indirect introduction of the protagonist

Let’s plan to put one and two together.  Let’s also focus on the other characteristics of the initial scene.  Notice that first, the initial scene must include the protagonist.  This should be obvious, but let’s go down the list. 

Likes and dislikes are an entirely constructed idea from the mind of the protagonist.  The reason I write this is that I know what my characters think simply from their development and specifically their intellectual development.  However, for minor characters especially, a generalization of likes and dislikes can help you keep track of the mind of the character, and help you make the character very rich in terms of response.

What I’m trying to express to you is that you don’t have to complete an extensive character development to produce some very well designed and rounded characters.  As I wrote, this is really only for minor characters.

An example is necessary.  Let’s develop some characters for the table at a boarding school.  These are my notes for these characters.  I developed these characters just from these notes and described them in the novel. 

Fraulein Anna Pfaff – not super bright, but outgoing and kind

Likes

      Quiet decorum

      Gentleness

      Kindness

      Smiles

Dislikes

      Frowns

      Meanness

      Study

If you notice, Anna’s last name is a famous industrial brand.  I designed the character in this sense, that her father is a wealthy industrialist and that she comes from a good family.

       

Fraulein Diedre Vogt – bright and well informed, father is a statesman

Likes

      Study

      Cleanliness

      Neatness

      Politics

      Secrets

Dislikes

      Straightforward speech

      Dirt

      Untidiness

Diedre’s name is also related to politics and statesmen.  Obviously she is interested in politics and is very informed about what’s going on in her nation of Austria.  What she doesn’t get from her father, she reads in the newspapers. 

Here I introduce these characters and let them speak.  This is from Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  

The older girl who spoke already to them introduced herself, “I am Anna Pfaff.” Anna had a round and gentle face.  A sweet smile pleasantly filled her features.  Her hair was blond.  Fraulein Pfaff continued, “Since the Lady Natalya doesn’t speak German, what country is she from?”

Aksinya grinned, “Is my German that good.  You didn’t ask what country I am from.”

One of the other girls rolled her eyes, “Anna, are you so slow?  They are Russian.  That’s obvious from their names.  I’m Diedre Vogt.  You are both Russian, aren’t you?  You escaped from the civil war?”  Diedre Vogt wore an immaculate uniform.  Her short coat and blouse looked as if they had been pressed just moments before dinner.  Her long dark brown hair was brushed to perfection, and her face was beautiful and slender.

Aksinya and Natalya nodded.

Diedre pressed her hands together, “That’s so romantic.  Where is your family?”

Lady Natalya came out of her seat again.  Aksinya didn’t stop her this time, “That is not a subject that may be discussed.”

Diedre almost fell out of her chair, “I’m sorry.  I do apologize.  I understand.”

Aksinya’s voice was a little tense, “There is no reason to apologize.  My parents, brother, and sister were murdered on the front lawn of our estate.  Only I escaped.  That is why I am the Countess Golitsyna.  The situation is equally difficult for the Lady Natalya.  You would be the best of friends not to mention it a second time.”

The table immediately became quiet again.

When you design your minor characters, I recommend this method of notes and development.  You can start with likes and dislikes or add them in from your short notes about the character. 

I don’t do this for the protagonist.  Usually, I don’t need to.  My notes are sufficient to help me understand my protagonist. 

Then the question is what opinions does your protagonist hold? 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

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